Kostyuk Overpowers Andreeva for Brisbane Semifinal Spot
Marta Kostyuk’s bold baseline attacks dismantle Mirra Andreeva, securing back-to-back Top 10 victories and a tense semifinal against Jessica Pegula on Brisbane’s unforgiving hard courts.
Marta Kostyuk arrived in Brisbane carrying the quiet fire of a two-year overhaul, her No. 16 seed ready to ignite on the hard courts. She turned that spark into a blaze Friday, outlasting No. 6 seed Mirra Andreeva 7-6(7), 6-3 over 1 hour and 47 minutes to claim her first semifinal in 21 months. This upset, her second straight Top 10 win this week after toppling Amanda Anisimova, thrusts her into contention for a year-end ranking surge she’s long targeted.
The Ukrainian’s game hummed with preseason polish, her heavy topspin forehands pinning Andreeva behind the baseline while crosscourt backhands opened angles. Brisbane’s medium-paced surface rewarded her aggressive returns, allowing quick steps inside the line to redirect pace with inside-out winners. The Pat Rafter Arena crowd fed off the energy, their cheers peaking as Kostyuk stretched for a scorching angled forehand pass to break at 5-3 in the first set.
“it’s not like everyone is going to see my strength or my power in the first week of the year,” she said ahead of the tournament.
That humility rang hollow against the reality unfolding on court, where Kostyuk’s focus never wavered through momentum shifts. She erased a 2-0 second-set deficit with sharp drive volleys, then sealed the match by rifling a return at Andreeva’s feet on her first match point. Racking up 34 winners to just 10 from her opponent, Kostyuk blended offense and defense seamlessly, her slice backhands turning deep balls into counterpunching fuel.
Preseason Confidence Shapes Aggressive Edge
Kostyuk’s rapid ascent traces to those intense off-season sessions, where she first mapped a clear path to the Top 10. This Brisbane run—her deepest here yet—echoes her last semifinal drought-breaker, the 2024 Stuttgart final, validating the mental reset after a uneven 2025. She committed to front-foot tennis from the opening rally, her 1–2 patterns of serve and forehand disrupting Andreeva’s rhythm on a surface that grips topspin without excess skid.
The humid Queensland air thickened with tension as rallies stretched, but Kostyuk’s body language screamed control, her slides adapting clay-honed footwork to hard-court quickness. Positive training vibes carried over, turning potential ebbs into opportunities, like those back-to-back backhand winners in the tiebreak that hushed doubters. For the first time, she enters a tournament not just hoping, but expecting results from her rebuilt arsenal.
Brisbane: Scores | Draws | Order of play capture the tournament’s pulse, with Kostyuk’s path now zeroing in on semifinal stakes.
First-Time Clash Demands On-Court Adaptation
Facing Andreeva for the initial time layered unpredictability onto the tactical duel, her deep, pace-shifting groundstrokes contrasting the blistering speed Kostyuk knows from foes like Aryna Sabalenka or Elena Rybakina. The Russian’s balls landed heavy, demanding endurance over raw power, yet Kostyuk started energetically, hammering returns to force errors and avoid settling into prolonged baseline grinds. This physical test honed her adjustments mid-match, using down-the-line passes to exploit openings on the true-bouncing courts.
Andreeva’s serve kept sets competitive, but Kostyuk’s net approaches and full-stretch covers neutralized threats, the arena’s roof amplifying every thud and gasp. Post-match, she marveled at the swift payoff from her preparations.
“I didn’t know that it would show so quick, already in the first week,” Kostyuk told press.
Unlike her prior win over Anisimova, this matchup lacked head-to-head familiarity, forcing reliance on video scouting and instinct. Kostyuk’s aggressive entry paid dividends, her inside-in forehands carving space while underspin slices slowed the tempo when needed. The victory fortifies her toolkit for the unknown, essential as the tour’s varied opponents test her consistency.
Pegula Semifinal Probes Deeper Resolve
Jessica Pegula looms next, the No. 4 seed rallying from 3-0 down in the first set and 2-0 in the second to edge Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 7-6(3)—her third straight-sets result in 16 matches. At 31, Pegula commands a 4-1 head-to-head edge, triumphs in Miami and Beijing last year outweighing Kostyuk’s sole 2024 San Diego semifinal win. To reverse that, the Ukrainian must mix patterns, pulling the American wide with crosscourt lobs before attacking the backhand with inside-out redirects.
Pegula’s flat trajectories thrive on Brisbane’s pace, her defense absorbing aggression while opportunistic down-the-line shots punish lapses. She’s long tracked the young risers, spotting promise in both Kostyuk and Andreeva early.
“I like to keep track of the young girls,” said the 31-year-old. “I remember when Mirra, before she became what she is right now, when she was coming up through the ranks, I thought she was really good -- a really good athlete. Same thing with Marta, she broke out on to the tour so young and now she’s a top player as well. There’s a lot of young girls out there. I try not to think of the age difference too much, but it’s fun to watch them play. I’m sure they’re going to go on to have amazing careers, but I’m going to do my best to combat that for now.”
This clash pits Kostyuk’s surging momentum against veteran steadiness, where sustaining focus through breaks could vault her rankings several spots closer to the Top 10. The hard courts’ predictability favors her topspin, but Pegula’s consistency will demand precision over power. As the Australian swing unfolds, Kostyuk’s early breakthroughs hint at a season where self-belief turns pressure into propulsion, her semifinal stand a pivotal step in that climb.
